Over the past few decades certain apparel items have gained popularity as an auxiliary or layered apparel item which assists in hiding or concealing much of the hips, buttocks and upper legs of the apparel wearer. In one case, the apparel is chosen by a wearer from among a group of long-sleeved apparel items such as a sweater, jacket, sweatshirt, or long-sleeved shirt, coat, and the like, and while not intended for being worn around the waist, these items, meant for covering the upper body are adapted to that purpose, by a wearer wrapping the apparel's two sleeves around the waist and tying them together. In this approach, the body of the sleeved item, hangs from the lower back of the wearer, for example, over a portion of one's pants, skirt, shorts, leotards or bathing suit, to conceal the area of the wearer's belly, hips, buttocks and upper legs. However, the most common method of tying the sleeves is to use a partial knot, because a fully knotted method is too bulky in appearance. Consequently, the sleeves often tend to not be sufficiently secured and frequently can come undone. This creates the annoyance of a wearer having to keep re-tying the sleeves so that the sleeved apparel will be adequately fastened around the waist. Additionally, the material of certain sleeved garments can often be too thick or heavy making the wearer uncomfortably hot or needlessly perspire. With the simulated sleeved-like garment embodiment of the present invention lighter, cooler materials can alternatively be employed.
In a second approach, female and male wearers have enjoyed the popularity and utility of sarongs to wrap around and cover much of the hips, buttocks and upper legs. The sarong material is often made of a sheer, lightweight material that is quite comfortable and attractive. However, a common method of tying the sarong is to also use a partial knot, a half hitch, or roll over, because a fully knotted method can appear too bulky. Consequently, the sarong can also tend to not be sufficiently secured creating the annoyance of a wearer having to keep re-tying the sarong so that it will be adequately fastened around the waist.
It is noted that sarongs often are produced in a limited range of sizes and therefore may not be suitable for larger men or women, however this is not a limitation of the present invention in that it is designed to be made in and accommodate an optimal range of sizes.
The present invention alleviates the annoyance of having to repeatedly re-tie the apparel to one's waist by providing one or more fastening means which solely, or in addition to the conventional tying method, positively secure the apparel to one's waist. Moreover, the invention's fastening means provide ample support for keeping the apparel securely fastened to the waist when items are secured within one or more hidden compartments. Additionally, the fastening means can be used to selectively cover a portion of a wearer's stomach area.
The conventional approaches described above, in spite of their inconvenient tying methods, have nonetheless become fashionable, particularly for women, because the wearing of skirt-like, or sarong-like, or sleeved apparel as described, provides a desired modesty, or a means to selectively control the exposure of a portion of one's pants, skirt, shorts, leotards or bathing suit, or an area of the wearer's hips, stomach, buttocks and upper legs. It is also noted that the wearing of the apparel as described can compliment the shape of the body in a flattering way, and that the tieable members of the apparel can be quite useful in covering part of the stomach or stomach region of clothing worn under the waist-fastening apparel.
In the case of using the apparel to control modesty or to selectively control a desired degree of exposure, it has become popular for woman taking a run, or a walk, or a hike, going sightseeing, or to a sporting or recreational event, or to a nightclub, or exercising on a treadmill or when in a gym, or going out publicly, or when running on one or more errands, to wear the sleeved-type apparel as described. However, in instances such as these, in addition to more effectively addressing the need of having apparel that is positively secured around the waist, it would also be advantageous to have apparel that could also easily carry items that are commonly needed when one goes out, and to preferably do so in a well-concealed manner that was also flattering to the shape of the body which the apparel covers.
For example, when exercising, travelling, sightseeing, shopping, or working or going outdoors, it could be helpful to securely carry in the apparel any one or more of the following commonly needed items: key(s), identification, a passport, a wallet, money, credit cards, makeup, a water bottle, a cell phone or other communication device, a portable audio device, a PDA, a GPS, a camera, and the like. Thus, the embodiments of the present invention eliminate the need of a wearer separately carrying a purse which can easily be lost or stolen when carried separately. Furthermore it would be advantageous for such items to be carried in a way that there would be minimal or no bulk added to the appearance of the apparel. However, conventional apparel have not adequately addressed such purposes. And consequently, they are ill-equipped to securely carry such items in a hidden or well-concealed manner and in a way that minimizes or eliminates the appearance of their bulk being added to one's clothing. Thus, the existing types of apparel have deficiencies, and a new type of apparel is needed to overcome these deficiencies. It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a new type of apparel which has the aforementioned, new benefits and advantages.
Numerous attempts have also been made at trying to improve waist-fastening ‘fanny packs’ which are meant to facilitate the transport of commonly carried personal items. However, many people consider them to be unattractive, or unaesthetic, or bulky in appearance and feeling, and in some cases thought of as an unwanted ‘appendage.’ They are not typically thought of as a fashion accessory rather, they have more of a utilitarian reputation. Other disadvantages include, that they are not flattering to one's figure or body shape; they do not conceal parts of the body that women wish to conceal; in some cases there can be a social stigma associated with the fanny packs particularly if they are made of unaesthetic or gaudy material. Additionally, they do not hide the fact that someone may be carry valuable items on their person and may therefore invite unsafe consequences.
In contrast, the present invention provides a ‘Cover & Carry’ approach which conceals the fact that one is even carrying items that may be valuable, and also provides the concealing of areas of the body that women are interested in concealing while also doing do so in ways that can be flattering to the wearer's figure or shape and may even be considered quite stylish or trendy. As previously mentioned, the choice of materials used to make the waist-fastening apparel and any embellishments thereto, are extremely broad and can chosen from any of the materials and embellishments used in the past for making other types of apparel, garments and recreational clothing. Machine washable and/or dry-cleaned materials can include, but are not limited to, current or seasonal colors and/or patterns that are in fashion, fashion-forward materials, or embellishments, or both, keeping up with the trends in fashion, or selected among color palettes currently in fashion or projected to soon be in fashion, or selected from sheer material, texture, velour, corduroy, leather, denim, lightweight material, semi-transparent, translucent or opaque materials, or materials well suited for sportswear, athletic or exercise wear, swimwear, fashion accessory, resort or recreational garments, evening attire, or selected from material that is well-suited for coordinated fashion accessories, and the like, or any combinations thereof. Some examples of a few of the embellishments available from a very broad range of choices include, but are not limited to the use of one or more studs, sequins, grommets, appliqués, patches, and anything that can be embroidered, stitched into, onto, or adhered onto the apparel including the employment of such items as one or more detail.